Mbokani not the answer for Albion

West Brom FanZoner Craig Punfield looks at the club's summer striker conundrum and doubts Anderlecht's Dieumerci Mbokani is the answer.

As the Premier League's curtain is drawn for the end of another season, the hustle and bustle of the summer transfer window begins again, with all 20 top-flight clubs trying to get the top deals that will keep their club in the best division in England for another year.

Every club during the summer sales will be eyeing up a striker to help their club for the coming season, and West Brom are no exception to the rule.

Top goalscorer Romelu Lukaku has said his goodbyes to the West Midlands club and has left the Baggies with a bit of a striker conundrum. How do you solve a problem like Lukaku?

Finding a player to replace all of the Belgian's goals from last season is going to be no easy task for Richard Garlick and his network of scouts, although going by whisperings in the media, it looks like the Albion could already have their hearts set on Anderlecht's Dieumerci Mbokani.

The Congolese forward has all the attributes similar to those of his fellow striker Lukaku, strong, pacy, good in the air and can hold the ball up well.

He certainly looks like a good choice going from what I have seen of him on his YouTube clips, although Somen Tchoyi's highlights reel make him look better than Lionel Messi!

The only thing that is making me a bit uneasy with this move, if it does happen, is the price tag that he would have around his neck coming to the Black Country.

A rumoured fee of £8million is what would be needed to prise him away from the Belgian Champions and for me, a fan used to living on a shoestring budget (for a Premier League club), this all just seems a bit too much for a player unproven in the English top flight and already at the age of 27.

I know that the board like to spend one large sum of money on a marquee signing every summer and the rest of the transfer kitty is spent on bargain basement deals or freebies but to be spending the largest chunk of Jeremy Peace's war chest on a player unproven in Europe's top five leagues is a big gamble.

The man nicknamed 'Our God' by Anderlecht fans had his big break earlier in his career in one of Europe's elite five divisions when French side AS Monaco came calling. The striker was a flop, managing to score once in 10 appearances, and was part of a team relegated to France's second division.

In recent years we have had success stories from getting African imports to join the Hawthorns outfit with the likes of Youssouf Mulumbu, Peter Odemwingie and Lukaku, who has a Congolese background, donning the blue and white stripes. But for me I think our big money for next season should be a striker that has proven he can get you over 10 goals a season in any of the top five divisions in Europe.

Just you watch, he will go and score a hat-trick on his debut now...

By Craig Punfield, FanZone's West Brom blogger. Follow him on Twitter at @Punnerss - and don't forget to follow @FanZone too!